Karmin, Silversun Pickups Release New Albums; Usher Hits ‘SNL’

Welcome to Buzzworthy’s “The Week In Pop,” where we round up new album releases, talk show musical guests and TV performances by your favorite pop stars and more (so you don’t have to).

So, what to give mom for her big day? (Sunday is Mother’s Day, guys!) How about Silversun Pickups‘ third album for moms who loved the alt-rock ’90s. Or introduce her to the swag-pop of dating duo Karmin. If she’s into history, opera and Blur/Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn, impress her with his latest solo effort. Or dedicate Saturday night to swooning over Usher together as he performs on “Saturday Night Live.” (We won’t judge.) Oh, and P.S., the winner of “The Voice” Season 2 will be revealed on Tuesday!

+ Keane, Strangeland: “This one seems to be looking back and forward and the whole thing about traveling through your own ‘strangeland,'” said Keane of their fourth album. But it sounds more like a move back than ahead. They’ve returned to the sweeping piano-buoyed melodies of their early days. Check out “Disconnected” and the nostalgic “Silenced By The Night.”

Check out more new album releases and upcoming TV appearances and performances after the jump.

+ Damon Albarn, Dr. Dee: Blur and Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn’s been busy confusing us with whether those bands are kaput or sticking around. In the midst of this, the apt genre-spanner releases a 16th-century folk opera about Dr. John Dee (an Elizabethan alchemist and philosopher), which is equally confounding and ambitious (and weird).

+ Barenaked Ladies, Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One Before!: With 10 unreleased tracks and two rarities, the album compiles work from Barenaked Ladies’ early days on Reprise Records. The set includes a live cover of Beastie Boys‘ “Shake Your Rump” (RIP MCA) and a Pull’s Break remix of the Canadian pop-rockers megahit “One Week.”

+ St. Vincent, Stranger Mercy: Annie Clark’s recent acclaimed album Strange Mercy gets a CD/DVD limited edition repackaging. It includes the original CD along with her “Cheerleader” and “Cruel” music videos.

+ S. Carey, Hoyas EP: Bon Iver‘s classically-trained percussionist and musical director experiments with computer-based music on this electro-chillout gem. A collaboration between he and A.A. Bondy member Ben Lester, Hoyas is the follow-up to Carey’s debut solo effort, All We Grow. Listen to the soaring “Two Angles.”